Page 79 of Marigold and the Marquess
Marigold already had the answers swirling in her head. “Well, first he would have sought to have Leo declared dead. When did he start muttering about it? What did he say? Anything that might have implicated him? Revealed something only someone involved in this villainy would know?”
Leo stared at his wife. “So you are on board now? You finally believe these three are traitorous wastrels?”
“Yes, but that does not mean I approve of your manner of justice.”
“They are an unholy alliance,” Leo said with a growl. “Cummings wanted me dead. Beldon wanted me harmed. And Denby did not give a rat’s arse what happened to me, so long as he could sabotage the mining deal and not be caught.” Leo raked a hand through his hair. “And you still think I should not kill them?”
“Well, Beldon has run off and Denby is dead,” Gory pointed out. “His partners must have been furious when they realized he had taken bribes on the side. Who knows how else he was undermining them? I’m surprised they took this long to kill him.”
Leo poured himself another drink. “I’m sure they considered it sooner. But he was the perfect front man for them. It would have been too much of a risk to bring in someone new. So they let him go with a mere warning never to divert from their plan again.”
“Right,” Octavian said. “They let the matter drop knowing Beldon and Cummings were not going to get in their way again. Those two had no interest in Crown affairs or how the lucrative deals were being purposely mishandled. They only wanted to hurt Leo.”
“And now that Leo is back and turning over rocks to find those slimy snakes, the silent partners realized the time of reckoning had come.” Syd smiled at him. “They got scared and killed Denby before he could turn on them. But we will help you dig up all the dirt necessary to break up their evil organization and convict them.”
Gory nodded. “Beldon or Cummings must also remain suspects in Denby’s murder. I know it is rumored Beldon fled to the Continent, but this needs to be confirmed. And Cummings, we know nothing about him. But if he paid to have Leo murdered, why not do the same with Denby? And why not come after Leo again?”
Julius rose and walked over to Leo’s liquor cabinet. He motioned to the bottle of brandy. “May I, Leo?”
He nodded. “Help yourself.”
“Seems to me,” Julius said as he poured the drink into his glass, “if what Gory says is right, then anything beyond Leo’s original mission and capture is best dealt with by the Duke of Edgeware and the Crown agents. With Denby dead and Beldon not likely to still be in England, we ought to be concentrating on Leo’s cousin.”
Syd nodded. “I agree. He must be out there, feeling desperate, and aren’t desperate men always dangerous?”
“Minimal danger to Leo now that we are all going to be on the lookout for him,” Julius said, taking a sip of his brandy.
“This does not mean any of us should let our guard down,” Octavian said. “All of these villains are scared and desperate. Cummings is not the only one who might do something foolish and dangerous.”
“Denby’s partners will run,” Marigold said. “They have nothing to gain by coming after Leo since he has no idea who they are. But Cummings gains everything if Leo is dead. He just has to do away with him cleverly and provide himself an unbreakable alibi.”
“Nor can we ignore the danger to Marigold,” Gory added. “If Cummings is afraid to challenge Leo, does it not make sense he will come after her? After all, she is his wife and he needs to stop her and Leo from producing offspring.”
Leo stared at Marigold who was now blushing to the tips of her ears.
If only his idiot cousin knew Leo hadn’t touched her in any way possible to yield offspring. Nor would Leo ever do so until this entire investigation was brought to a close.
Yes, he loved Marigold.
Dear heaven, he loved her.
But nothing had changed.
He still meant to ensure their marriage could be annulled.
No consummation.
Husband unhinged.
Annulment granted.
Marigold safely out of the way.
Julius returned to his seat, took a sip of his brandy, and then set his glass down and regarded Leo with a serious expression. “Your cousin’s name has been brought up throughout our conversation. But we have yet to make note of something important. Do you have any idea where he is at this moment?”
CHAPTER 13
LEO DECIDED TOtake Marigold with him when he met Ian at Denby’s townhouse the following morning. Their friends had departed Chipping Way shortly before dawn and would return in the afternoon to catch up on whatever else Leo had learned. Syd and Gory were going to speak to Lady Withnall, but Leo had also written a note giving the pair permission to view Denby’s body because they were going to break into the mortuary on their own, otherwise.
